Drive mechanism for shaker conveyers



April 37: w. w. SLOANE 2,077,593

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR SHAKER CONVEYERS Filed Oct. 5, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A ril 20, 1937. w. w. SLOANE DRIVE MECHANISM FOR SHAKER CONVEYERS s Shets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 5,, 1934 \c l l i Patented Apr. 20, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRIVE MECHANISM FOR SHAKER CON- VEYERS Application October 5, 1934, Serial No. 746,979 Renewed September 5, 1936 18 Claims. (Cl. 198-220) This invention relates to improvements in drive mechanisms for shaker conveyers of the type utilized for conveying loose material, such as coal,

and more particularly to drive mechanisms in which the violence of the conveying action may be varied and the direction of action may be reversed under the control of the operator.

More specifically, the present invention is directed to improvements in construction of the type of mechanism disclosed in my prior application,

Serial No. 712,969, filed February 26, 1934, and

has for its object to provide a simplified, more 7 compact and durable construction for drive mechanisms of this character.

Other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following description proceeds.

My invention may best be understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a device Q0 embodying my invention operatively connected with a section of conveyer troughing;

Figure 2 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the drive mechanism with the main portions thereof shown in longitudinal section;

Figure 4 is a detail plan view of one end of the gear casing showing the drive modifying mechanism in substantially horizontal section;

35) Figure 5 is an end view taken substantially on line 5--5 of Figure 3; 7

Figures 6 and '7 are views somewhat similar to Figure 5, but on a reduced scale and showing the parts indifferent positions of adjustment;

:1; Figure 8 is a detail section of the worm gear locking mechanism taken on line 88 of Figure 5; and

Figure 9 is a diagram or graph showing certain hypothetical velocity curves of shaker motions .39 attainable by the shaker mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, a shaker drive mechanism, indicated generally by numeral I0, is mounted on a base plate H adapted to be 3 held in position on the mine bottom in the usual manner, as by a plurality of jacks l la, 9 la.

The general arrangement of the drive mechanism, and the details of the planetary gear reduction mechanism utilized therein, are the same as isshown and described in my aforementioned application, but as all of said parts cooperate to produce the desired variations in shaking motions, said parts will be briefly described.

A gear housing 16 is formed of two flanged cas- 5 ing members Ito and H abutting in end-to-end relation, and secured together by bolts l8, l8. Said housing is mounted on the horizontal legs of a pair of angles l4, I4 secured to the base plate I I, as by welding. A motor I 9 is mounted at one end of the housing member Ilia, and has an armature shaft 2|] provided with a pinion 2| keyed thereon. Said pinion acts as the sun pinion for a planetary gear reduction device, indicated generally at 28.

The pinion 2| meshes with and drives planetary gears 22, 22 carried on parallel-spaced shafts 23, 23 which shafts are journaled adjacent their ends in a cage 24. Said cage is provided with a hub 25 keyed to an inner end of a shaft 26 and. held in fixed relation with respect thereto by means of a suitable nut and washer, indicated by reference character 21. Said shaft is journaled adjacent the hub of said cage in a suitable antifriction bearing member 29 carried in a suitable bearing support means, herein shown as being formed integral with the casing IS. A suitable anti-friction bearing member 30 carried in the outer end of said casing and held therein by a removable end plate 3| forms a bearing for the.

opposite end of said shaft.

Planetary pinions 32, 32 are keyed on the shafts 23, 23 and spaced from the planetary gears 22, 22 and mesh with an internal ring gear 33. Said internal ring gear serves as ,a reaction member for the planetary geared reduction device and its 2) outer periphery and side adjacent the motor l9 abuts a shouldered portion of a rotatable support member 35. Said support member extends over the planetary gears 22, 22 and is journaled on a hub 36 formed integral with the casing member Hia. A spider 31 abuts the opposite face of said internal gear and is provided with a shouldered hub 38 which is journaled on a shoulder 39 formed on a portion of the outer side of the support member for the bearing 29. The support member and spider 3! are secured to each other, and to the internal ring gear 33 by means of suitable nuts and bolts 40, 40 so that all of said last-named parts may rotate as a unit.

It will be apparent that rotation of the sun pinion 2| will rotate the cage 24 within the internal gear 33 when said internal gear is held from movement. When the internal gear 33 is free to rotate in the direction of rotation of the cage 24, the speed of rotation of said cage will be increased, but when the internal gear 33 is rotated in an, opposite direction, the speed of rotation of said cage will be decreased.

The outer end of the shaft 26 extends beyond the bearing 30 and is provided with a crank M,

herein shown as being formed integral with said shaft. Said crank has a pusher rod or pitman 43 journaled thereon by means of a suitable bearing member 44. The free end of said pusher rod is pivotally connected to a connecting member 45, secured to and depending from a conveyor trough 46 for reciprocably moving said conveyer trough upon rotation of said crank.

Referring now particularly to the mechanism for changing the rate of acceleration of crank 4|, which mechanism forms the subject matter of the present invention, the same comprises a novel arrangement for rocking the internal gear 33 alternately in opposite directions during each revolution of said crank. As herein shown, my improved mechanism includes a crank 41 formed integrally with the shaft 26 intermediate the bearings 29 and 30. Said crank is so disposed with respect to the crank 4! that it is 90 out of phase therewith in a manner similar to that described in my aforementioned application. In my improved construction, the crank .1 has bearing in an anti-friction member 49 carried by a block 50. Said block is slidably mounted between a pair of spaced guide members Sla 5w of a frame, indicated generally at 52. Said frame is pivoted on a horizontally disposed pin 53 suitably supported at one side of the casing, as is best shown in Figures 4 and 5.

The frame 52 is also provided with a hollow annular extension 68 surrounding the crank 41. This annular extension forms the hub for a rocking member 69 rotatably mounted thereon and provided with a pair of oppositely disposed extensions HI and H. One of these extensions 70 is pivotally connected by means of link 12 to a projection 66 of a worm gear ring 61. Said worm gear ring is mounted within the casing l6 for rotatable movement with respect thereto. Its general arrangement and function is similar to that of the worm gear ring previously employed in drive mechanisms of the same type; namely, to change the angular position of the rocking member 69 with respect to the frame 52 so as to control the violence of the shaking action, and

also by suitable adjustment as will presently appear, to reverse the direction of shaking movement.

The opposite projection H is pivotally connected through link Ha to a projection 8| which extends outwardly from the spider 31 forming a support for the reaction member of the planetary gear reduction device previously described.

In the improved form shown, the gear ring 61 is seated between the end surface of the housing Mia and an annular shoulder 63 formed in the end housing H.

A worm l3, herein shown as being formed integral with shaft 14, meshes with the worm gear ring 61. Said shaft has bearing at its upper and lower end in an enlarged portion 15 of the end housing l1, and is manually controlled by hand wheel 15.

It will now be apparent that upon rotation of the shaft 26, the crank 41 will simultaneously reciprocate the block 50 in the frame 52 while the frame will be oscillated in a substantially vertical direction about its pivot pin 53. The oscillation of the frame 52 will be imparted to the rocking member 69 which has one end thereof anchored through link 12 to the projection 66 on the gear ring 61. Oscillation of the frame 52 will, therefore, produce corresponding oscillation of the internal gear 33 so as to rock the same about its axis in opposite directions during each revolution of the shaft 26. This rocking movement of said internal gear serves to vary the acceleration and deceleration of the trough with respect to a normal velocity curve represented by the sine curve A of Figure 9, so that the velocity curve will then assume an acceleration curve similar to that indicated by curve B of Figure 9 in which the trough will be given the desired shaking action so as to progress material therealcng in one direction.

It will be manifest that the greater the arc of movement of the internal gear 33 during each revolution of the crank 45, the steeper will be the line of the velocity curve, such as curve B of Figure 9, indicating the deceleration of the forward stroke, resulting in an increase in material travel.

Referring now to Figures 5, 6 and 7, it will be observed that the effective arc of rocking movement of the internal gear 33 may be controlled by rotation of the worm gear 6? through manipulation of the hand wheel it. Rotation of said worm gear in a clockwise direction from the position shown in Figure 5 will result in a gradual increase in the arc of movement of the rocking member 69 and internal gear 33 until a point is reached where said rocking member is substantially in axial alignment with the frame 52, as shown in Figure 6. Rotation of the worm gear in a counter-clockwise direction from that shown in Figure 5 will decrease the arc of movement of the rocking member 69 and internal gear 33 to a point where said rocking member is arranged substantially in the arc of movement of the frame 52 when there will be no appreciable movement of said internal gear. The velocity curve of the trough 46 will then be a normal sine curve, as indicated at A in Figure 9, and no movement of material will result. Further movement of the worm gear 6'! in a counter-clockwise direction causes the internal gear 33 to be rocked in the opposite phase, in which the peak of the acceleration curve occurs in the first 90 of acceleration of crank 4|. Thus, in the position of the parts shown in Figure '7, the direction of movement of the material will be reversed with respect to the position shown in Figure 6, and the velocity curve will be substantially as indicated at C in Figure 9 in which the acceleration and deceleration peaks are now on the opposite sides of the peaks of the sine curve A from the peaks of curve B.

As a further feature of my improved construction, I provide a novel locking means for restraining the worm gear ring 6? from rotation. In the form shown in Figures 5 and 8, a locking piece 82 is guided for radial movement in an enlarged portion 83 formed on the housing I! adjacent the toothed periphery of said gear ring. Said locking piece is provided with a series of teeth 84 adapted to fit into the teeth of said worm gear when said locking member is moved into engagement therewith. A threaded member 85 extends through the outer wall of the enlarged portion 83 in alignment with the locking member and has a head 86 rotatably engaged therewith. It will be observed that by rotating the outer end of the screw member by means of a suitable tool, the locking member may be moved into and out of locking position with respect to the worm gear ring 61.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that the construction and arrangement of the various parts may be changed or altered without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting myself to the precise construction illustrated, excepting as it may be limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a shaker conveyer drive, a drive shaft, a driven shaft having a crank thereon, planetary drive gearing for rotating said crank with alternating acceleration and deceleration during each revolution thereof including a reaction member and means for shifting said reaction member including an oscillating pivotally mounted frame, an eccentric reciprocably mounted relative to said frame and driven in timed relation with said crank, a rocking member pivotally mountedintermediate its ends directly on' said frame, means operatively connecting said reaction member to one end of said rocking member, and means affording a movable fulcrum for the other end of said rocking member.

2. A shaker conveyer drive in accordance with claim 1, in which the pivotal connection of said rocking member to said frame consists of a hollow bearing through which the driven shaft extends.

3. A shaker conveyer drive in accordance with claim 1, in which the pivotal connection of said rocking member to said frame consists of a hollow bearing through which the driven shaft and its eccentric extend.

4. A shaker conveyer drive in accordance with claim 1, in which means are provided for adjusting the movable fulcrum for one end of the rocking member in an arc coaxial with the aXis of said reaction member in such a manner as to reverse the order of acceleration and deceleration of said driven crank without reversing its direction of rotation.

5. In a shaker conveyer drive, a driving shaft, a driven shaft having a crank thereon, drive gearing for rotating said crank with a predetermined variable angular velocity during each revolution thereof including an orbitally movable pinion, a reaction member movable in opposite directions during each revolution of said crank meshedv with said pinion, and means for reciprocably moving said reaction member in timed relation with said crank including an oscillating pivotally mounted frame, an eccentric reciprocably mounted rela-' 6. A shaker conveyer drive in accordance with I claim 5, in which the pivotal connection of said rocking member to said frame consists of a hollow bearing through which the driven shaft extends.

7. A shaker conveyer drive in accordance with claim 5, in which the pivotal connection of said rocking member to said frame consists of a hollow bearing through which the driven shaft and its eccentric extend.

8. A shaker conveyer drive in accordance with claim 5, in which means are provided for adjusting the movable fulcrum for one end of the rocking member in an arc coaxial with the axis of said reaction member in such a manner as to reverse the order of acceleration and deceleration of said driven crank without reversing its direction of rotation.

9. In a shaker conveyer drive, a driving shaft, a driven shaft having a crank thereon, drive gearing for rotating said crank with a predetermined variable angular velocity during each revolution thereof including an orbitally movable pinion, a reaction member movable in opposite directions during each revolution of said crank meshed with said pinion, and means for reciprocably moving said reaction member in timed relation with said crank including an oscillating pivotally mounted frame, another crank on said shaft, a connection between said crank and oscillating frame including a member journaled on said last-mentioned crank and guided in said frame for slidable movement therealong, a rocking member pivotally connected to said frame intermediate its ends, an operative connection-between one end of said rocking member and said reaction member, and a pivotal connection between the other end of said rocking member and a member fixed from movement during operation of said drive mechanism.

10. A shaker conveyer drive in accordance with claim 9, in which the last-named member, to.

cillating pivotally mounted frame, another.

crank on said shaft, a connection between said crank and oscillating frame including a member journaled on said last-mentioned crank and guided in said frame for slidable movement therealong, a rocking member pivotally connected to said frame intermediate its ends, for pivotal movement about an axis coaxial with the axis of rotation of said shaft, an operative connection between one end of said rocking member and said reaction member and a pivotal connection between the other end of said rocking member and a member fixed from movement during operation of said drive mechanism.

12'. A shaker conveyer drive in accordance with claim 11, in which the last-named member, to which said rocking member is pivotally connected, is adjustable for adjusting the axis about which said rocking member moves.

'13. In a shaker conveyer drive, a driving shaft, a driven shaft having a crank thereon, drive gearing for rotating said crank with a predetermined variable angular velocity during each revolution thereof including an orbitally movable pinion, a reaction member movable in opposite directions during each revolution of said crank meshed with said pinion, and means for reciprocably moving said reaction member in timed relation with said crank including an oscillating pivotally mounted frame, another crank on said shaft, a connection between said crank and oscillating frame including a member journaled on said last-mentioned crank and guided in said frame for slidable movement therealong, a rocking member pivotally connected to said frame intermediate its ends, a link pivotally connecting one end of said rocking member with said reaction member, a member fixed from movement during operation of said conveyer and a link pivotally connecting the other end of said rocking member with said last-mentioned member.

14. A shaker conveyer drive in accordance with claim 13, in which the last-named mem- 5 ber, to which said rocking member is pivotally connected, is adjustable for adjusting the axis about which said rocking member moves.

15. In a shaker conveyer drive, a driving shaft, a driven shaft having a crank thereon, drive 10 gearing for rotating said crank with a predetermined variable angular velocity during each revolution thereof including planetary drive gearing having a movable reaction member, and means for reciprocably moving said reaction 15 member during each revolution of said crank including an oscillating pivotally mounted frame, another crank on said shaft, a connection between said crank and oscillating frame including a member journalled on said last-mentioned 20 crank and guided in said frame for slidable movement therealong, a rocking member pivotally connected to said frame, means operatively connecting said reaction member to one end of said rocking member and means affording a movable fulcrum for the other end of said rocking member.

16. A shaker conveyer drive in accordance with claim 15, in which the pivotal connection 5 of said rocking member to said frame consists of a hollow bearing through which the driven shaft extends.

17. A shaker conveyer drive in accordance with claim 15, in which the pivotal connection 10 of said rocking member to said frame consists of a hollow bearing through which the driven shaft and its eccentric extend.

18. A shaker conveyer drive in accordance with claim 15, in which means are provided for 15 adjusting the movable fulcrum for one end of the rocking member in an arc coaxial with the axis of said reaction member in such a manner as to reverse the order of acceleration and deceleration of said driven crank without reversing its 20 direction of rotation.

WILLIAM W. SLOANE. 

